The present invention deals with flexible latch mechanisms in which the latch moves away from and springs back against a keeper or strike plate to retain the door, or other object to be retained, in a closed position. The invention also deals with the adjustability of the latch to accommodate different depths of doors, or other objects, and the capacity to retain the latch and handle (or knob) on the door during normal usage.
There are presently a number of latch mechanisms which are used on both large and small doors (or other objects) which are positioned at time of manufacture of the larger apparatus, e.g. internal doors on vending machine apparatus for dispensing foodstuffs, clothes washing and drying, etc. Usually these latch mechanisms are separate from the handle or knob which is utilized to operate the door or other object desired to be moved or retained in position. With separate latch mechanisms and handles, the doors are subject to damage by the exertion of a pulling force at points across the extent of the door which produces an unequal force on the latch mechanism which will lead to damage, and potential failure, of the latch. Alternatively, the handle, from the exertion of unequal forces, may fail by being pulled away from the door or other object. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to align the forces so that potential for failure of either part is significantly reduced.
It is also an object of the present invention to combine the latch mechanism and handle (or knob) into a single unit by utilizing a two-part apparatus which conjoins at installation to make a single latch and handle unit.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flexible latch mechanism which mates with a handle (or knob) such that the shaft of the latch which extends through the door (or other object) aligns with and is captured by a handle having cooperating receivers for each of a plurality of disks on the shaft of the latch mechanism. The handle captures the shaft disks by folding one part of the handle over onto a mirror duplicate part, utilizing a flexible hinge between the two parts of the handle, and retaining the two parts of the handle in a juxtaposed, closed position by snapping two or more retention projections on one portion of the handle into cooperating receivers on the other portion.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a mechanism to automatically self-center, and retain centering, of the latch and handle combination on the door or other object.
It is still another object to utilize the combination latch and handle apparatus of the present invention as a retrofit to an existing door of a vending apparatus, or other object, such as to provide a replacement closure mechanism for the original closure mechanism.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a combination latch and handle apparatus which is adjustable to the thickness of the door or other object through which it is inserted to create a tight fit for apparatus integrity with the door.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to two-piece flexible latch and handle having adjustable lengths, which offers enhanced supplicity in both the manufacturer of the components and their installation. The present invention devices are each constructed to permit installation with doors of a variety of thicknesses.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Latches of different types have been used for hundreds of years to secure doors and come in many shapes, forms and functionalities. Today, handle and latch arrangements are used on sheds, electrical boxes, gates, appliance doors such as washers and dryers, vending machines and many other applications and are made of metal or plastic or combinations of these and typically involve assemblage of more than two parts with bolts and nuts or screws. Additionally, they are either designed for a single thickness door, or can only accommodate different thicknesses by adjustments of two or more bolts and nuts. These devices usually require four or five parts, have diverse manufacturing requirements and are more complex to assemble than the present invention devices.
Thus, the present invention devices provide for manufacturer with only two molds and utilize a single material of construction, i.e. with polymers and, especially with elastomeric polymers.
The present invention resides in the field of self-aligning two-part combination flexible closure mechanisms and includes a latch portion and a handle portion which cooperate to provide a self-locking latch and handle which is insertable through an internal door (or other object) in a vending apparatus, i.e. for foodstuffs or for laundering clothes, etc., and which is adjustable to accommodate differing depths of doors in area of the intended use. A latch mechanism having a flexible catch attached to a base having a centering disk for cooperative self-alignment with the door through which the latch mechanism is to be inserted and a shaft having a plurality of retention disks at spaced apart locations on the shaft is preferably molded into a single piece construction. The handle (or knob) is preferably molded in two sections connected by a flexible hinge such that each section is a mirror image of the other. Each handle section has arrayed along its centerline a series of receivers for the plurality of disks on the latch shaft such that the disks are captured and retained in the receivers when the two sections of the handle are folded over onto one another and snap locked in place by cooperating projections and receivers positioned in opposing positions on each section of the handle. The handle also has a self-centering projection (one-half on each section) which aligns the handle coaxially with the latch when the latch shaft is captured in the retention receivers upon closure and locking of the handle sections. In this manner, the two-part combination latch and handle creates a self-aligning, self-centering, latch and handle having a flexible catch and an adjustable length shaft for insertion through a door (or other object) either as an original, or as a retrofit, latch and handle forming a closure mechanism for the door or other object with a keeper or strike plate against which the catch is positioned.